LIVE: Manipur's oldest armed group UNLF signs peace deal with Centre

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9:52 PM

Telangana Assembly polls

Election Commission orders suspension of three Telangana Police officers for allegedly diluting case in cash-seizure matter: Sources

9:51 PM

'Igas Bagwal' celebrations in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the 'Igas Bagwal' celebrations at his residence in Dehradun. He felicitated the family members of a few of the 41 workers who were trapped in the Silkyara tunnel. He also presented shawls to the rescued workers during celebrations. Talking to the media, he said "It was very painful for all of us to see our workers trapped inside a tunnel. Many festivals passed by as they remained stuck for 17 days. I had said we would celebrate all the festivals the day our workers are rescued safely. With God's blessings and the collective efforts of agencies, the workers were evacuated yesterday."

9:47 PM

Foot Locker to step into India, inks deals with Metro Brands, Nykaa

Foot Locker will enter the Indian market in 2024 in partnership with local peer Metro Brands and cosmetics-to-fashion retailer Nykaa, the U.S.-based athleisure chain said on Wednesday, giving it a much wider global footprint.

 

Metro Brands, which has over 700 stores across India, will exclusively own and operate Foot Locker stores in the country and focus on selling shoes from brands such as Nike and Adidas.

6:33 PM

50 years of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in electoral Politics

50 years is a long period in politics. Mallikarjun Kharge didn't just survive its unpredictable course, he continued to rise higher and higher throughout his political career. Not once did he compromise on his ideology, not once did he drift away from the cause or the poor," says Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at the launch of Congress President's biography named 'Mallikarjun Kharge: Political Engagement with Compassion, Justice, and Inclusive Development

6:33 PM

Report on Sony merger risks collapse incorrect. We are working towards closure of proposed merger, says Zee

Zee Entertainment on Wednesday called the news item captioned “Sony-Zee Merger Risks Collapse Over Eleventh-Hour CEO Drama: Report” "factually incorrect." The report was published by Bloomberg.

6:31 PM

India targeting enrolment of half million foreign students by 2047, says Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam

India is targeting enrolling half a million foreign students by 2047, Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said on Wednesday. Subrahmanyam made the comments while addressing the 18th FICCI Higher Education Summit. He also said technology is going to "blow up" the higher education sector and the universities have to embrace Artificial Intelligence in a big way to stay relevant and competitive.

 

"NITI Aayog is preparing a vision document for 2047 and education has a separate role in it. One of the important points in this include that, by 2047, we aim to target half a million foreign students in India. We should become the global provider of education by improving our quality, brand value and improve our rankings which are globally recognised," he said.

6:26 PM

Due to heavy rain, waterlogging witnessed in many parts of Chennai

6:23 PM

United National Liberation Front has signed a peace agreement in New Delhi

6:19 PM

Manipur's oldest armed group UNLF signs peace deal with Centre

Manipur's oldest armed group UNLF signs peace deal with Centre; "Welcome them to democratic processes," says Amit Shah.

 

4:47 PM

ISRO scientist VR Lalithambika conferred highest French civilian award

V R Lalithambika, former Director, Directorate of the Human Spaceflight Programme, ISRO, was conferred the top French civilian honour of Lgion d'Honneur for her engagement in space cooperation between France and India.

The award was given to her by Ambassador of France to India, Thierry Mathou, on behalf of the French government, here on Tuesday.

Created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Lgion d'Honneur (the Legion of Honour) is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients.

4:21 PM

MCD House meeting opens with raucous protests by BJP, AAP councillors

BJP and Congress councillors on Wednesday obstructed a MCD House meeting with their protests over the non-formation of a standing committee and increased house tax.

The House met on 2.19 pm amid sloganeering by the opposition councillors.

Congress councillors raised slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party and held placards with demands such as "constitute the standing committee" and "rollback house tax" written on them.

Bharatiya Janata Party councillors raised the issue of the dog menace in Delhi and asked for the release of data regarding dog bites in the city.

4:12 PM

Govt approves terms of reference for 16th Finance Commission

The government has approved the 'Terms of Reference' for the 16 Finance Commission, which makes recommendations on sharing of tax revenues between the Centre and states.

The recommendations would cover a five-year period commencing April 1, 2026, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday, giving details about the decisions taken at the Cabinet meeting last evening.

The commission would submit its report by October 31, 2025, Thakur said.

4:04 PM

No one can stop CAA implementation, says Amit Shah at Kolkata rally

Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Wednesday that the Central government will implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and no one can stop it.

Addressing a big rally here to launch the party's Lok Sabha campaign, Shah launched a blistering attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the issues of appeasement, infiltration, corruption and political violence and urged people to throw out her government and elect the BJP in the next assembly polls.

2:58 PM

Delhi's winter peak power demand may cross 5,700-MW mark, break records

Delhi's winter peak power demand this year may break all previous records, crossing the 5,700-MW mark, officials of power distribution companies said on Wednesday.

A BSES official said up to 60 per cent of the maximum winter power demand of over 3,600 MW in its areas will be met by green power. It will also bank on surplus power with other states to meet the increased demand, he said.

2:24 PM

Allegations of plot to kill Sikh extremist on American soil: India to probe

India has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to probe allegations relating to a conspiracy to kill a Sikh extremist on American soil.

The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, last week reported that US authorities thwarted a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, and issued a warning to the Indian government over concerns it was involved in the plot.

2:15 PM

40 passengers fell ill due to food poisoning on Bharat Gaurav train

40 passengers travelling on the Bharat Gaurav train from Chennai to Pune suffered from food poisoning.

As per the sources in the Ministry of Railways, a private player is operating the service. The ministry will take action against the company, sources added.

2:09 PM

Myanmar, China conduct naval drills as fighting surges in border area

Myanmar and China are conducting naval drills together as the military government in the Southeast Asian nation loses ground in its northeast border region to a coalition of militias that also has strong ties to Beijing.

State-run Myanma Alinn newspaper said Wednesday that three Chinese vessels were anchored in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, and that officials from both nations met Tuesday to discuss the maritime security exercises.

1:53 PM

K'taka HC allows Dy CM to file memo seeking withdrawal of appeal in DA case

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday allowed Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to withdraw his appeal against a single judge order over the issue of sanction to the CBI to prosecute him in assets case.

The court allowed the deputy CM to file a memo seeking to withdraw the appeal filed by him challenging the earlier order.

1:32 PM

Cabinet approves Central Sector Scheme to provide drones to Women's self help groups

Union cabinet approved Central Sector Scheme for providing Drones to the Women's Self Help Groups. Drones to be provided to 15,000 selected Women's SHGs during 2023-24 to 2025-2026 for providing rental services to farmers for agricultural uses

 

Union Minister Anurag Thakur gives details on the decision.

1:29 PM

Cabinet approves term of reference for 16th Finance Commission: I&B Minister Anurag Thakur

Cabinet approves term of reference for 16th Finance Commission, says I&B Minister Anurag Thakur

1:25 PM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses DRDO event

1:18 PM

Govt extends PMGKAY scheme to give 5kg of free foodgrains per month from Jan 1, 2024

Govt extends PMGKAY scheme to provide 5 kg of free foodgrains per month to 81 cr poor for another 5 years from Jan 1, 2024

1:18 PM

Anurag Thakur highlights achievement of Modi govt, says nearly 13.50 cr people moved out of BPL

Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, "In the last five years, around 13.50 crore Indians rose above the poverty level. This is a big achievement of the Modi Government. Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was introduced. Yesterday, it was decided that this scheme would be extended for the next five years with effect from 1st January 2024..."

1:07 PM

Senior IAS officer Atal Dulloo appointed new chief secretary of J-K

Senior IAS officer Atal Dulloo has been appointed as chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, replacing Arun Kumar Mehta who is due to superannuate at the end of this month.

According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dulloo, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Union Territories or Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory Cadre, will assume charge as chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir from December 1.

12:57 PM

With LS polls round the corner, Rahul Gandhi calls Kerala, Wayanad as home

Amid indications that Rahul Gandhi may contest again from Kerala's Wayanad constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the former Congress chief said on Wednesday that the southern state and the hill constituency were like a home to him.

With less than six months remaining before the Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to take place, Gandhi said that coming to Kerala and Wayanad is not work for him.

12:39 PM

Here's what Himachal CM Sukhu had to say on pneumonia outbreak in China

Shimla: On pneumonia outbreak in China, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu says, "There is no need to panic. The situation here is under control. Our health ministers are taking necessary precautions keeping in mind the spread of a disease (in China) and guidelines will be released...There is no such situation in Himachal as of now but we should take precautions anyway"

 

12:11 PM

Telangana Assembly polls: Here's what G Kishan Reddy had to say ahead of elections

Telangana elections | Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy in Hyderabad says, "Elections are going to be held in Telangana on November 30... I request that the people of Telangana exercise their right to vote. A good government should come... I pray to the goddess that good people come to the government. And they do good work for the state... Since yesterday morning, different parties, especially Congress and the BRS party, have been distributing money... It is the duty of the Election Commission and officers to stop it. The election should happen peacefully. Freedom should be there... The distribution of liquor should be stopped... Elections should be peaceful and fair."

 

11:52 AM

Pakistan carried out 'widespread abuses' against Afghan refugees: Report

The Pakistan authorities committed "widespread abuses" against Afghans living in the country to compel them to return to Afghanistan leading to a situation of humanitarian crisis, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the organisation, the Pakistani police and other officials carried out mass detentions, seized property and livestock, and destroyed identity documents to expel thousands of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers. Since mid-September 2023, Pakistani authorities have forced out more than 3,75,000 Afghans to Afghanistan, deporting 20,000 of them.

11:41 AM

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Here's what CM Dhami had to say on PM Modi seeking daily updates

11:09 AM

US life expectancy rose last year, but it remains below its pre-pandemic level

US life expectancy rose last year by more than a year but still isn't close to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2022 rise was mainly due to the waning pandemic, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention researchers said on Wednesday. But even with the large increase, US life expectancy is only back to 77 years, 6 months about what it was two decades ago.